Is it just me? Trying to hire quality repairs and needing to vent a little

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Just a "Web Wheeler"

So my '03 GMC D-max rocker panels rotted away here in the salt bath. Since you cant buy a non EPA butchered diesel anymore I decide to have a body shop here replace the rockers and cab corners.
$2400 quote to do it. Have the truck for a week.
Truck is finished 3 weeks later, I pay $2898. (so damn near $500 more) While they had it I had them install the nerf bar steps ($100) and the remainder was for inner rockers replacement. The bed had to come off to perform the work.

Here's what I found so far:
Strike 1. Bed is bolted down 1/8" back away from the cab.....I have a B&W turnover hitch that no longer lines up.
Strike 2. They used a cut off wheel to take off the u bolts for the B&W inside the bed. Leaving bare metal scratched where they hit the bed itself.
Strike 3. Rear passenger door only opens 2/3. (Found that the top hinge tab was bent....fixed that myself)
Strike 4. Right cab corner sticks out 1/4" from the door contour. (shit workmanship)

Strike 5. And finally as its getting colder I noticed the engine cranking over slower. Decided the batteries were old enough lets replace them. Lift the hood and find ONE BATTERY DISCONNETED

That one pushed me over the edge and resulted in a phone call back to them about the whole shooting match and their piss poor attention to detail. "What if instead of a battery you forgot to hook up an airbag from a collision repair?"

TJ Expert

I don't know how much into social media, or online rating services this shop is, but you might suggest that these findings would make an interesting post for folks to review should the need a repair done. Might get their attention.

TJ Enthusiast

The only person I let touch my Jeep is TOOLTIME JEEP in Clemmons, NC. Otherwise, I do the work myself. I know that job had to be hard to do but if they do it then they should have enough experience to do it correctly. That kind of garbage work around here will shut someone down because it will get around quickly in my small town. Shameless plug above but I am not affiliated with them at all.

Just a "Web Wheeler"

@Chris I can totally relate to your frustration on your mid-arm.
As I'm squarely middle-aged now, its hard to remember just how many times I've been kicked in the nuts by lying heathens that anxiously take on your job then proceed to sandbag it. That's why I suggested you cut and run on the first shop.
I'm getting better at sniffing out those situations now.

TJ Enthusiast

I don't know how much into social media, or online rating services this shop is, but you might suggest that these findings would make an interesting post for folks to review should the need a repair done. Might get their attention.

Administrator

@Chris I can totally relate to your frustration on your mid-arm.
As I'm squarely middle-aged now, its hard to remember just how many times I've been kicked in the nuts by lying heathens that anxiously take on your job then proceed to sandbag it. That's why I suggested you cut and run on the first shop.
I'm getting better at sniffing out those situations now.

Oh yeah, that’s one of the reasons I did cut and run on that first shop. I’m mostly happy with the work this second shop did, I’m just not happy with their method of setting bump stop and the height of the outboard towers. Now I’m going to be doing the work myself and learning to weld in the process.

TJ Enthusiast

I have a brand new chevy van for work . picked it up with 10 miles on it ,it pulled to the right, brought it right back, they fixed it still pulled. first oil change they realigned it ,still pulls. the just got it back for 2nd oil change still pulls to right, they check alignment say its fixed. you guessed it still pulls to right so I bring it back yesterday and say I had a ford prior to this loaded about the same and in 250,000 never needed an alignment and my big a@@ sits on the left so it is heavier on the left and should pull that way so it's either fix it or lemon law it .i'm driving a new Colorado pickup today while they fix my truck

TJ Enthusiast

Tell me about it.. I had a 83 blazer I had the transmission rebuilt the same day I got it back I went for a drive then when I was going home the tranny took a dump all the transmission oil fell to the floor.. took it back the owner was saying it was my fault ?? I didn’t take any of his BS I told him to give me my money back.. he said he would rebuild it again got it back and a week later same thing happened..took it back he blamed me again this time for driving it without no transmission oil.. the tranny oil fell who knows why I just know it wasn’t my fault..I wasn’t going to pay a tow truck to have it towed to his shop..

New Member

That about hits the nail on the head, but unfortunately sometimes it's not in the cards. I fixed cars professionally for close to a decade before changing careers... I still have all my tools and the knowledge of how to fix my own stuff, but at this point in my life I just don't have time for a lot of wrenching and IT SUCKS. My wife's Silverado went in a couple of times for a few issues and each time it came out with more!

TJ Enthusiast

Here's what I found so far:
Strike 1. Bed is bolted down 1/8" back away from the cab.....I have a B&W turnover hitch that no longer lines up. (shit workmanship)
Strike 2. They used a cut off wheel to take off the u bolts for the B&W inside the bed. Leaving bare metal scratched where they hit the bed itself. (shit workmanship)
Strike 3. Rear passenger door only opens 2/3. (Found that the top hinge tab was bent....fixed that myself) (shit workmanship)
Strike 4. Right cab corner sticks out 1/4" from the door contour. (shit workmanship)

Strike 5. And finally as its getting colder I noticed the engine cranking over slower. Decided the batteries were old enough lets replace them. Lift the hood and find ONE BATTERY DISCONNETED(shit workmanship)

TJ Enthusiast

Good shops are still out there. But they are hard to find. Ask around. The best ones never advertise. They don't have to. As car dealerships go corporate and totally screw up the service department good techs that can't sleep at night for being forced to sell work the car does not need sometimes go out on their own. Honest and stand behind there work. That is the guy you need to find.

TJ Enthusiast

Good shops are still out there. But they are hard to find. Ask around. The best ones never advertise. They don't have to. As car dealerships go corporate and totally screw up the service department good techs that can't sleep at night for being forced to sell work the car does not need sometimes go out on their own. Honest and stand behind there work. That is the guy you need to find.

You are right. I do as much as I can on my stuff but the guy I take everything else to opened because he lost his dealership service department tech job due to the buy outs 10 years ago. He's the best there ever will be and no advertising. I've seen almost everything there. Here's a 1958 Bonneville that Howard Hughes bought for his secretary (I have no idea how it ended up here)
and various cars anywhere from 40 some years older than that to the 2019 cars being sold today. Even with 4 other mechanics in his shop I still have to call for non emergency stuff 2 weeks ahead to get an appointment.

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Produced from 1997-2006, many consider the Jeep Wrangler TJ to be the last "true" Wrangler. I started Jeep Wrangler TJ Forum as resource for TJ owners around the world to come together as a community and to have a place where we can be proud of our TJs.